Fused neutral cut-out

[monoloco]

Apologies if this isn't the appropriate bit of the forum to post this to, or for any uneducated comments in what follows - straying beyond my elec expertise!

We had our meter changed over to a digital one the other day & the guy who did it spotted we had an old fused neutral cut-out. So Western Power Distribution have been out today wanting to replace it.

I understand enough to appreciate it needs replacing (not that I'd personally be fiddling with wires to come a cropper if the neutral fuse did get blown), but they're saying they need to dig up w nice hole/trench in our (recently tarmaced) driveway to fix it.

Is there a good reason why the service head couldn't safely be replaced without doing that, or is it genuinely unavoidable?

I just want to make sure they're not doing the thing that's easiest/cheapest for them, but not best for us!

Thanks!

 

[driverman]

Thanks all!

So it sounds like it depends on their risk appetite & is potentially quite valid for them to say they need to dig outside.

I'll see what options they can suggest for a hole that doesn't wreck our driveway (though unfortunately there's no pavement outside - it's our Tarmac straight to the road).

Should i expect them to have a good record of where the service cable runs?

and on a slightly different note, the house was gutted & renovated in 2011, with all the electrics (on consumer side of the meter) completely replaced. Was it valid for that work to be certified with the fused neutral cut-out left in place? (does that certification only consider consumer-side bits, with meter, service head, etc handled totally independently under DNO regs??)

Let the forum know the out come please. Regardless of the neutral issue, as it is a metal clad cut -out, it wants changing anyhow by the DNO's own standards. The DNO should of been informed it was metal when the meter was changed. Meter fixers are not supposed to remove metal lid in order to remove fuse.

 

[monoloco]

Will do. Haven't managed to speak to anyone at DNO yet who knows what they're talking about, just their call centre. Will update after I call the local team in office hours this week and get it sorted.

 

[driverman]

Will do. Haven't managed to speak to anyone at DNO yet who knows what they're talking about, just their call centre. Will update after I call the local team in office hours this week and get it sorted.

When you have all info at hand and they still want to dig up the new tarmac that you have recently laid. Ask them instead of digging a joint hole in order to make safe your cable, ask them to carry out a local shutdown procedure. That means shutting down other properties also by giving them notice, possibly several weeks. There fore no need to dig up the tarmac.....Worth a try

 

[mechelec]

When you have all info at hand and they still want to dig up the new tarmac that you have recently laid. Ask them instead of digging a joint hole in order to make safe your cable, ask them to carry out a local shutdown procedure. That means shutting down other properties also by giving them notice, possibly several weeks. There fore no need to dig up the tarmac.....Worth a try

if it's a pole TX with two customers on maybe but not if it will affect any more customers.

 

[Knobhead]

When you have all info at hand and they still want to dig up the new tarmac that you have recently laid. Ask them instead of digging a joint hole in order to make safe your cable, ask them to carry out a local shutdown procedure. That means shutting down other properties also by giving them notice, possibly several weeks. There fore no need to dig up the tarmac.....Worth a try

And the cost? A couple of bags of cold roll is far cheaper.

The OP has to realise that the H&S of the DNO’s employees has a higher priority than his damned driveway.

 

[UKMeterman]

The op may wish to search YouTube for arc flash. This will give an idea of what can happen when things go wrong

 

[Knobhead]

Nice one, make the bags of cold roll a hell of a lot more palatable.

 

[monoloco]

And the cost? A couple of bags of cold roll is far cheaper.

The OP has to realise that the H&S of the DNO’s employees has a higher priority than his damned driveway.

Tony - I don't know if you're more polite in person, and manners just get lost behind the safety of your keyboard??

As I said in my original question, I came here to find out if there was a valid need to dig the joint hole, and as per my later reply I recognise, based on all the helpful replies, that there is (though might also be equally safe options that involve digging a hole in road surface that's already wrecked and pot holed by prev utility company work...)

and as for the local shutdown option - they just did it on Friday for a (unknown, but only 10mins) job on something in our local supply. So can't do any harm to ask.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Ahhh TNS earth. Tell them to leave it as it is but change head, you'll never get one again. It'll probably be "upgraded" to the magic of the change of physics around the 50s/60s.

;-))

 

[driverman]

Tony - I don't know if you're more polite in person, and manners just get lost behind the safety of your keyboard??

As I said in my original question, I came here to find out if there was a valid need to dig the joint hole, and as per my later reply I recognise, based on all the helpful replies, that there is (though might also be equally safe options that involve digging a hole in road surface that's already wrecked and pot holed by prev utility company work...)

and as for the local shutdown option - they just did it on Friday for a (unknown, but only 10mins) job on something in our local supply. So can't do any harm to ask.

I think the DNO's are limited / restricted on how many planned shutdowns that can be carried out in same location, ie you wouldn't want your supply interrupted in a short space of time several times due to work going on locally. Emergency work of course is another matter. I would still go for the shutdown though. Don't forget, the DNO could of already of done the work, when their meter was changed

 

[monoloco]

I spoke to the DNO office yesterday and they were very helpful & forward leaning about finding a way to do it without a joint hole in the driveway. They want to come and have another look before deciding but volunteered that they had people that may be able to do it live, or with 2 weeks notice may be able to get the ok to dig on the road. They didn't rule out local shutdown, but we a bi hesitant about it due, as you say, to the Ofgen outage targets they're measured against.

Will update once they've visited and decided what to do.

 

[monoloco]

Came to see it today. Guy took one look and said it'll be no problem for him to do it live, and that he's qualified to do so, unlike the guys who originally came.

Due to do it next week (safely, I hope!).

Thanks for the all help / advice.

 

[monoloco]

Job done. Cut out replaced today, live, and safely.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Job done. Cut out replaced today, live, and safely.

Happy days, worked out well in the end.

 

[DPG]

Good to get feedback on what happened. Cheers. Daz